The had set sail to the Americas nearly four days ago and still there was no sign of land to be seen. Many of the voyagers had already succumbed to sea sickness a day after out on the waters, and the stench of the waste drenched clothing clung to the air. The fresh air did nothing to hide the sickening smell of the purged stomach bile the passengers spewed over the railings and into the water below. Seagulls circled above them called for food from them on the ship, or swooped down to catch the fish that enjoyed the bile that floated with the current of the ship.
It was all he could do not to throw the others overboard and take the ship for himself, and it took all his will power not to just stay in his quarters. Normally it was just the captain would have his own cabin. But Roland found that no matter how civilized the people are money could still persuade favors, and had given the captain of the ship a chest full of gems for the small room; he probably could have just gave the man a small pouch of gold for the voyage, too, but Roland was as wealthy as the king, wealthier even, and a chest filled to the top didn't even scratch the surface of his wealth.
Roland looked up at the white sails of ship. The wind had slowed down and barely give them any speed and were now just drifting along with just the currents. He had hoped when he bought himself onboard that he wouldn't have to use any magic, but since the first night he had to more times than should have been necessary. Now that the wind had almost died down he saw no other alternative than to wake the wind up; there had been several times where he was almost caught giving a helping hand, but all times the eyewitness would just shake their heads as if they only just imagined seeing what he was doing.
It was like he was keeping magic a secret from people. But when you're the only sorcerer onboard a ship so small you didn't want panic to envelope the other passengers, especially when they were a superstitious bunch...
He turned back to the way they were heading and squinted at the horizon while he contemplated helping again. But just then another voyager - a woman - came up beside him and peered at the water below. Roland was sure she was about to puke. Soon she straightened back up and gave him a gentle smile as if to say 'sorry'.
Roland just gave her a small nod.
"Maryline Beed," the lady said as she offered a hand in greeting.
Roland looked at her hand for a moment before nodding his head in greeting, "Child. But my friend named me Roland."
Maryline gave him a confused look.
"My parents didn't name me," Roland told her when seeing her confusion, "I went by many names before, but none stuck too long to be considered mine. So a friend named me."
The woman made an 'O' with her mouth before giving Roland a sad smile.
"I'm sorry that your mother and father hadn't named you. I couldn't imagine not being able to name my child."
Maryline's hands came to her belly. Roland followed her movements as she she patter her abdomen, indicating the unborn child that was growing inside her womb.
He gave her a half smile, "I hope you both get to this 'new world' safely."
The woman's small, absent smile began to show the light and the love she already had for her unborn child. Roland turned away from her and back to the horizon, because looking at her brought up memories he didn't care for, memories that he wished he never had.
But if he never had them then he would never have changed, and he needed to change for her...
Suddenly the wind started to pick up, first as a light breeze and giving the ship a gentle lurch forward, but after a few minutes heavier winds blasted its sails with a tempest like force that only nature could provide. To their right, Roland noticed after staring over at the horizon for five minutes, the sky was darkening with angry looking storm clouds that breathed in and out as it got closer to the ship, and soon the rain came pouring down.
Maryline hurried for the shelter inside, but Roland stayed behind and outside. Rain kept pouring down in thick curtains, the air rapidly cooling allowing him to see his breath. He cleared his throat and fixed his shirt collar, and the rain slowed, and then stopped altogether.
Out of the mist, in the horizon, land could be seen.
"Time to make another change." Roland told himself.
The captain of the ship came out to look for any damage the storm had caused, and looking puzzled every time he glared up at the now clear skies. He was one out of six others onboard that suspected Roland of being a witch, but with no proof to be had no one would say anything. They allowed him to stay on the ship strictly because of the gold he bribed the captain with, not because he could make their voyage safer. If they had found proof, however, that he could use magic they would try something, anything, to get him off ship.
"Land!"
The captain veered his eyes to the horizon and could see through the haze land that was to be the new settlement of his passengers. He hollered something to his men to make ready for landing.
"Soon we'll set on land," said the captain as he inches closer to Roland, "then you can leave."
There was some attitude in the man's voice, something that had always irritated Roland: smug people.
"Careful with your words," said Roland as he turned toward the ship captain. "Many men have died because they believed they could speak to me that way."
The captain turned fully to Roland and pointed a finger at him angrily, a gesture that in the past would have been enough for him to teach the man a lesson.
"Just leave us alone when we land."
Roland looked southwest toward land. "When we make land I'll be heading southwest."
The captain grumbled, but said nothing more and left Roland alone.
He was on the first boat off ship to land, the first one to waddle through the water to land. He took a deep breath as he turned back to the ship that had carried him hereand thought back to his earlier small talk with Maryline, and how he wished to wait before leaving to see he again. But the longer he stayed with people the more likely the others will start asking questions...
A man, one of the captains men, was left on the beach with the four others that made land first, came up to him and handed Roland his only belonging: a dark leather sack filled with old maps he'd drawn centuries ago when he was traveling the world, and a few gems. In a sense these maps were priceless. But the gems, well to him they were just decorations.
He sifted through the leather sack and found three clean cut sapphires the size of his fingernails. He clutched them in his fist and shook them like die, and he felt them leave his hand. Soon they would reappear Maryline's things, he would have her settled good when they settled, and for years to come. Later he would send a letter to her, telling her that the gems came from him; a small thank you for her kind words, even of they shared but just a few words.
Then he turned southwest and left.
Roland opened his eyes as he finished recalling his voyage across the ocean, coming up to the hut he once lived in centuries ago when he first made land traveling to America; he was surprised that it was untouched by the indigenous peoples. Five hundred years had passed since his voyage, and since then he had built on to the hut. At first he couldn't decide whether actually build on, or leave it as it was. But living in such a small space was not at all appealing to him, not after living like a king for many years back in England. So he built, at first, a small manor for just himself.
That process had taken him a good part of ten years to do, as he had to clear brush from his property. During times where he didn't have the inclination to build on he would survey his land and put up property markers, scorching when he couldn't find big enough stones. Five days in he had decided he would take five hundred acres of land for himself, planting hedges at the borders of the property, and the decades passed would see that the hedges grew so green and healthy, and so thick that small animals had found refuge from predators within it's branchy forest.
Throughout the years he continued working to make this land his own he would get the occasional visitors seeking something or other, but more often than not they came because of curiosity, in which case Roland would welcome them with a friendly hello and the warmest smile he could muster. All that came to visit was also welcomed to a hot meal, no matter the time of day or year. Many of his visitors came from the town of Roanoke, whom he would trade furs with for seeds and other useful resources they had, little as it may be. But each trip took him a month to and back home on foot, so he always made sure he had all he needed before leaving the woods.
The last time he travelled to the small village all the people looked miserable, their buildings and tents were all ramshackle and threatening to collapse in on itself. But they were all happy to see Roland again, because he had helped the many times over, and even going as far as erecting some of the buildings in the village. Some even knew he was a sorcerer and had often asked him to teach them some wardings against harsh weather, which he obliged. The time before his last everyone was excited.
Now they were in a gloom that not even the sunny days could evaporate. When he asked what caused their glum, one mentioned they had been plagued by demons at night with glowing silver eyes, many of which claimed the lives three people in the last week before Roland had made it to Roanoke.
"We are defenseless," someone had told him, "no weapon, no ward, and neither was the breaking of dawn's light scared the demons off!"
Roland's heart sank in his chest to hear their panic and sorrow. He traversed the small village in a circle, from within and outside of the area. He saw no signs of their aforementioned demons. There were marks, however light they were, of something entirely different. He could also smell certain odor in the air, though very faint. The longer he searched the more he was convinced that the demons that plagued Roanoke are not demons, but another creature.
"You need to leave." Roland told everyone later that day. "What plagues is no demon, but they will surely kill you all in the next full moon."
Having trust for him the villager started packing their belongings, and was all but ready to leave. When they all had gathered in the center again they all looked at him for more guidance, not knowing where they should go next. He felt a sense of duty to help them, mentioned for all one hundred and twelve people to follow him back to his home, where he knew they would be protected by the surrounding dangers. Before starting their trek home he has warned them that it would take the better part of a month to traverse the heavily wooded land, but he was sure that they all would come out of the journey successfully.
"What about the demons!" a villager asked him from the front of front of the mass. "They've already attacked us, how can we protected ourselves when the only cover are the trees?"
Roland reassured the crowd that he would protect them, and by the time they all made it back to his land everyone had found the only difficult thing was passing the small rivers that wound around the land like a giant snake.When they entered his property and eyed around the grounds, being very spacious that they could set up their own small housings. Roland smiled at them and agreed.
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Though deep inside he knew none of this was to last.
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